1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to window blinds and, more particularly, to a device for opening and closing mini-blinds.
Mini-blinds, sometimes also known as Venetian blinds, include a plurality of spaced-apart parallel horizontal slats that are supported by a common carrier that includes a common support carriage disposed near each side of the blinds.
A support structure is disposed above the common support carrier. The support structure includes means for raising and lowering all of the slats, as desired, and also means for retaining the slats at a desired position other than all the way up proximate the support structure or all the way down maximally away from the support structure.
The support structure also includes a mechanism for varying the tilt angle of all of the slats simultaneously by affecting the common support carrier that supports all of the slats. A rod extends down vertically, usually from one side of the support structure, and is rotated in one direction to open the slats (i.e., to dispose them so that their plane, or chord, is substantially level with respect to the plane of the earth) or to close the slats (i.e., to dispose them so that their plane is at an angle that is nearly vertical with respect to the plane of the earth).
Sufficient rotation of the vertical rod in either direction will eventually dispose the slats at either a first angle (where a first edge of each of slats is disposed above an opposite second edge) or at a second angle (where the first edge of each of slats is disposed below the opposite second edge).
It is not possible, generally, for all of the slats to be disposed at a truly vertical angle with respect to the earth because the top of one slat will contact the bottom of a slat that is above it. This is because the slats include a slight overlap in the vertical position. A slight offset away from vertical is common in the fully closed positions, there being two such positions (the first angle and the second angle as previously described).
The slats for certain types of blinds are flat planar members while for the most common types of mini-blinds, they each generally include an arcuate member that is slightly curved across a relatively narrow width and which extends along a considerably longer longitudinal length. When the plane of the slats is mentioned herein, it is either the plane extending through a center of the flat planar members (slats) or a chord extending across the slightly curved width of the arcuate slats and extending along the longitudinal length thereof, that is being referred to.
A first problem encountered is that the rod hangs down adjacent to the blinds. The user, wishing to open or close the blinds, must contort the hand and wrist in order to rotate the rod about its vertical axis. This is not a natural position for the hand and is therefore difficult to accomplish.
It is especially difficult to attain a circular motion for the hand sufficient to rotate the rod about its vertical axis once it is contorted in a position necessary to grasp the rod. Only a small arc rotation is possible in this position, necessitating many small repetitive hand motions in order to open or close the blinds.
A second problem is that many turns of the rod must occur in order to fully open or close the blinds. This takes time to accomplish. Furthermore, the awkward attitude of the hand, as mentioned above, further aggravates and extends this process.
The term “open” refers to orienting either the planar slats or the chord of the slightly arcuate slats parallel to the plane of the earth, thereby permitting light to enter the room when the blinds are in a lowered position.
It is also generally necessary or recommended by the manufacturer of the blinds that they be placed in the “open” position prior to a raising or lowering of the blinds.
The terms “close” or “closed” refers to orienting the planar slats or the chord of the arcuate slats at an angle as far from parallel to the plane of the earth as is possible for the slats, or stated another way as nearly vertical as is possible, thereby substantially preventing light from entering into the room.
The blinds are not typically closed when they are fully raised. They are usually in at least a partially lowered position whenever they are disposed in a fully closed position. The blinds may be either partially lowered or fully lowered to a bottom of a window sill when they are opened and closed.
There are also many other positions (i.e., angles) possible for the slats other than parallel to the earth (i.e., open) or nearly vertical (i.e., closed). As the angle of the slats relative to the plane of the earth is varied, a proportional blocking of light entering into the room occurs.
A third problem is that curtains, drapes, or other types of window treatments are often used along with blinds. Any window treatment usually covers a portion of the window, most commonly, along the sides where the rod is disposed. This makes is difficult even to find, let alone access the rod, for opening or closing purposes.
With certain curtains, there is only a small space intermediate the blinds and the curtains, thereby making it extremely difficult to access the rod for opening or closing of the slats.
An especially troublesome fourth problem is that when a person opens or closes the blinds (i.e., the slats) that are disposed behind curtains or drapes, the attempt to reach the rod forces the person to brush against the window treatment (i.e., the curtains or drapes). This soils the curtains or drapes in the area near the rod which, in turn, necessitates frequent removal and expensive cleaning of the window treatments.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a window blinds opening and closing device that helps ameliorate the above-mentioned difficulties.
2. Description of Prior Art
Blinds are, in general, known. While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.